Hi LAChick--My husband and I both lost on Phase 4, my husband especially since he was eating the same amount of food I was. Maintenance, you will find, is a balancing act. You get to eat more, but you're nervous about eating too much, so you don't let yourself go. 1200 calories is still a low intake and you may still be in ketosis if you haven't had a full on cheat day. My suggestion is to experiment with the number of carbs and calories your body tolerates and practice the food combining rules. Good luck and congrats!

Good job. Coaches are concerned if you don't lose weight, if you don't lose inches or if you do lose weight or inches! I say as long as you feel good- great. 1200 calories is too low for maintenance at your height but I am not thinking that you need a lecture-good for you- you will figure out what works!

I stick to ezekiel bread now although there are a few other sprouted grain high protein breads out there. Julien Bakery is one, and I think you can get their stuff delivered. Google "low carb bread online" to see a variety of places that will send it to you.

Honestly, I haven't had much granola and would rather have my toast in the morning than anything else. Honestly, it's so easy to MAKE granola, I would suggest you look for recipes and then just cut back on the sugar.

Yogurt - fage/chobani plain greek. I use the nonfat. anything around 6gms sugar is ok per serving.

I discovered "nashua nutrition" and have placed another order from there. They have alternative products, and I really like the oatmeal for days when I am back on Phase 1 or 2. When I was on IP, I did the omelet a lot and then the crispy cereal when I got sick of the omelet. I can't find a good substitute for the cereal, and can no longer stomach the omelet.

Lee: I ordered that book and also Wheat Belly. I think low carb eating is the way to go. It will be interesting what you discover your carb amount is.

Patns: I agree with you about the dangers of too much sodium. It is everywhere. I try to buy sodium free spices. Interesting about the bread being a high source.

Goodeatsandwine: I also eat chobani yogurt, ezekial bread, safeway organic pb, and order products off netrition.com,

Louisiana Chick..I lost in Phase 4.. You just need to decide what weight you want to be.

Pixle: Coconut and oatmeal sounds wonderful. I may have to try Nashua oatmeal..I am guessing it is low carb. That quote made me smile on a day when I was not feeling too exercise motivated..at least I was not sitting on the couch!

2Ride: good for you staying away from that chocolate PB cup and drinking water. Enjoy your training trip.

I am glad it is Friday..I am making marshmellow snowmen to celebrate one class finishing the dreaded state testing.

bigpassport, I have a question for you if you don't mind answering. I have the same goal weight as you of 130 lbs and I am about 13 pounds away. I am 5'5'' tall, wondering what size you are considering you're much taller than I am. I am mostly size 4/6 jeans depending on the brand.

IP Maintenance trip to Hawaii
 

[QUOTE=capricious;4206340]Thank you to those of you that replied to my question about the IP packets crossing the border. I'm going to stick them in my luggage and hope for the best because I do not want to be without them. Could probably manage but don't really want to.


I would love to hear about your Hawaii trip and IP Maintenance. I'm leaving for Hawaii in 6 weeks and will have been on Phase 4 only 1 week before we leave. When you have a moment will you please share what worked and what didn't. I have a workout plan and a mini-kitchen at our resort so I will have alot of control... good thing. With that said my husband are taking a much needed trip, just the two of us, and would don't want to be in "paradise" living like "IP prisoners". I guess this is the "giant puzzle" to figure out the rest of our lives... successful MAINTENANCE!!!

Any tips specific to maintenance in Hawaii would be much appreciated:)!

I have read that also..the low fat high carb diet does not work. What I have trouble with about Atkins is that they allow high cholesterol type foods such as heavy cream, butter, cream cheese, high fat cheeses. I just got the book in the mail and will read it!

But... what IP teaches us is that these foods are not bad unless they are combined with carbs. In fact, I read somewhere that cholesterol is not the enemy. In fact, women with higher cholesterol live longer. Makes you wonder about all the ads on tv... who are they benefiting? big pharma??

http://www.naturalnews.com/033975_hi...t_attacks.html

LaChick- I lost in Phases 3 & 4 also. When you go from Phase 1 & 2 where everything is very black and white with no shades of grey and this works so well in taking off weight it is very hard to switch gears and go into the land of different shades of grey. Paranoia about extra calories = extra weight makes one very tight with the distribution of said calories. My coach actually said "W" "T" "F" to me after I lost in my first week of Phase 4 and told me to start eating more. And I had a 'free evening' mixed in that week. Albeit we went for a 12km walk the next day but it still resulted in an overall loss for the week. It's all trial & error... If you want to maintain you'll probably need to up your caloric intake. I'm 2 inches shorter than you and usually aimed for about 1500 cal/ day for maintenance. Some days are 1700, some are 1200. But everyone's body & metabolism is different and you will have to find what works for yours. In the meantime don't sweat the coaches... it's your body and it takes time to figure it all out...
Pat That was interesting to find out that bread is such a high source of sodium. I'm of the mind that if it's refined & white it really isn't good for me. Flour, sugar, sodium. And these are all found in most breads. So it makes sense that 'Bread is the Devil'. I think it is much better when it's ezekiel, rye or sprouted grain but still consumption should be extremely limited- I keep it to mornings only as I have the whole day to process it. And I love my toast;)
Alaska- I eat Liberte non fat plain Greek yogurt. This can be hard to come by even where I live so not sure about the feasibility for you but it has the best stats I've come across and I love it's tart taste. I use .25 Cups Kashi 'Go Lean Crunch' mixed into my yogurt and berries as I need a 'crunch' to my yogurt. Granola really isn't that great for you when it's store bought regardless of the manufacturer because it almost primarily consists of sugar (honey, sugar cane, evaporated sugar cane) and carbs (oats, grains) and your body will crave it. You can take pxlkitty's suggestion and make a low carb version if you're really dying for it... I eat 'winnipeg' brand rye bread from Safeway. Kraft natural peanut butter. And still use an IP bar for a snack most days- though the Detour brand that can be found at Costco has very similar stats and tastes just as good!
pxlkitty- your story of working from home with your son there had me laughing! How is the oatmeal from nutrition? I'm always loathe to part ways with my yogurt in favor of oatmeal so haven't had it in ages but I'd love to have a low carb version!
maile- thanks for another wonderful quote that I played back to myself while running on the treadmill! Sometimes I don't feel that I'm doing enough as I know a girl that just absolutely shreds me when it comes to running- she can run faster & longer any day any time. It was a great reminder that I am still doing so much better than if I were curled up in front of the tv!
bigpassport- is that scale moving yet??
I've been having a pretty frustrating week myself scale wise. It has been mid- high range with no low at all. Still getting used to TOM of being back and having it lurk. This is only my third one in almost three years. I am hungrier than normal and was waking up absolutely ravenous after my Phase 3 days. But from what I can remember of PMS this is pretty typical. High weight, grouchy & starving. Can't really say I missed it. I'm a bit freaked out that I will not have a scale available to me in Hawaii. Was thinking that maybe there will be one in the exercise room. But even if there is I don't think me stripping down to step on it at 5 am (my usual weigh in time is 8 am at home) would go over all that well. Not that lycra weighs anything but hey in my head anything short of naked is going to add weight. :D Still if there is I will be utilizing it. So here's hoping.
maintainisgoal- I will definitely let everyone know how it goes while I'm there. Both woolberger & maile have been to Hawaii on maintenance and both are still maintaining! Hawaii lends itself well to healthful eating as so many there are health conscious. I always saw lots of runners & cyclists & over course people walking and enjoying being outdoors at a time of the year when so many of us are cooped up inside. The grocery stores also offer an abundance of healthy choices. We are staying in a condo that has a fully equipped kitchen so I have absolute control in that. No, my biggest concern is that my Italian in-laws are staying with us. And MIL LOVES to cook. LOTS. It's primarily fresh and sodium free though, I'm just going to have to be extremely careful about portions, fats & pasta. Maintenance anywhere isn't jail. It's freedom. With a lot of responsibility. To continue making good choices when temptations abound and acceptance that making those good choices is beneficial not only for the body but also the mind & spirit. I can't think of it as being 'unfair' that I can't eat whatever I want whenever I want. I can, I choose not to. Because I know that I feel so much better about myself and my decision making when I continue to make good choices for myself. That said, I eat lots of fruit & veggies for snacks. I keep my protein up throughout the day, have yogurt in the morning and cheese at lunch. I enjoy what I eat... and I'm sure that you'll find things that are healthy and that you enjoy eating as well... That all said I'll keep you posted on how things go with Hawaii!

Thank you so much! It's good to have a place to start as far as finding out brands to search for when looking for breakfast items.

I thought the granola would be a challenge, unless I made it on my own. I've read the original Life After Phase 1 threads and someone kept talking about her favorite breakfast, which included granola but every granola I've found included either sugar, brown sugar or honey. Besides being bad for the diet, I'm very sugar sensitive and will get a migraine after the first bite. So it looks like I'm better off staying with muesli, Kashi and bread.

PxlKitty4- Agreed with the omelet. I find the only way I can eat it is with veggies mixed in, like mushrooms and asparagus, and then I through it in my salad.
Maile- Thank you for the brand names and info on the website! I'll check those out.
Capricious- Thanks for the info on Kashi. I've heard people mention this brand but wasn't sure which one they used. I LOVE rye bread! I'll have to see what I can find that I can use.

Also love the recommendations on the books: Why We Get Fat, and What to Do About It, and Wheat Belly.

I've recently found a magazine called Clean Eating. The recipes look amazing! Good ideas for breakfast, lunch, dinner and appetizers.

Hi Lovlies! It has been awhile since I have had an opportunity to come on and catch up. Work has been ridiculously crazy and by the time I get home at night, I just don't feel like getting on the computer.

Lots of interesting discussions going on. I finally started "Wheat Belly", but am still in the beginning of the book, so I can't really comment on it yet. But what I can say is that my own experience with removing wheat from my diet has been nothing short of eye opening.

I never lost weight in any other phase besides P1. Like all have mentioned, every body is unique and if you are still losing through P3 & P4, what that tells me is that you can add more calories and more carbs to maintain. For me, I need to keep my carbs fairly low on a regular basis to maintain my weight. I am one of those that fall into the "carb very sensitive" catagory. I feel like if you are following P3 & P4 to a T, and are still losing, you are one of the lucky ones who can handle a higher amount of carbs in your diet on a daily basis. :)

So I am still plugging along and still in my comfort window. However, I have added a new element to my maintenance. At my gym (Crossfit) they offer products by Advocare. I had never heard of them before, but everyone who takes them raves about them. They offer a "24 day challenge" which is pretty much a cleanse for 10 days and metabolic nutrition system for 14 days. So one of the girls I am friendly with at the gym wanted to do it, and asked me to do it with her. I am pretty much following a modified P2-P3 eating plan. It is pretty much P2 with added fruit & fat at breakfast, then the rest of the day is veggies & protein at lunch and dinner and 1 snack bar (restricted) and a post workout protein shake. I am on Day 3 and it is going really well so far. When I started I was at 133.8 and today I was 133 even. Which I don't particularly care about losing weight as I am in losing fat, which is what this cleanse & challenge promotes. Not to mention that my energy is through the roof. AND my workouts have been crazy good. I will keep you posted on my progress. I am secretly hoping that I might get under 130 :)

I hear ya!! so, I have a pixie under my desk. It's getting wrapped tonight for the birthday next Wednesday. I just ordered a bunch of espresso pods and hopefully those will show up before his birthday. The holders are insanely expensive. I am going to stick with the same system I use for my keurig pods -- a $1.99 container store plastic shoe box, which spookingly fits perfectly sideways in my Ikea kitchen drawers.

Thanks for the info. I did splurge and got the milk frother for me. That's my reward.

I don't like it quite as much as IP oatmeal, but it's close enough. I make it with a little more water than they recommend, and stir the heck out of it to get the lumps out. Funny... all the talk of coffee machines. I don't boil the water, but I do run the water through the keurig (sans pod) to get the water hot. I find that it's hot enough.

I went back to toast this morning... yummy. And I had yogurt and fruit, but that was when I got to the office so I'm sure it had too much sugar in it.

For whatever reasonn, any time I try to "quote" 3FC shuts down...

Pxlkitty- here is what I was trying to write to you:
NICE! I love my Pixie and you will definitely love the Aeroccino! :)

Once hubby opens up the machine, go to nespresso.com and register the machine. Once you do that, you can buy the pods directly from them much cheaper. I think it is around $0.50 a pod, which is the best price around. Amazon is ridiculously expensive for the pods. I got a pretty nice pod holder at Amazon for like $20-$30 (they actually have a pretty good selection). It was the "Swissmar 20 capsule storage". Otherwise, the capsules/pods come in a pretty nice box, so that works too. Let me know how he likes it!

If you like why we get fat, read good calories, bad calories. Even more info.